Hunters
by Seiko
Summary: Ryma realizes her feelings towards a certain bounty hunter, but does he feel the same way?
1. Discovered Feelings

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars characters (although I wish I did…sigh).

Hunters

Ryma sat in the Slave 1's cramped cabin. The engines hummed softly from below the floorboards and the soft movement of hyperspace caused a relaxing rocking motion. Ryma heard footsteps in the corridor below and then someone climbed up the ladder. A helmeted person appeared. He stood up and looked around the room then at Ryma.

"I wondered where you were," he said,

"This ship is so small, where else would I be?"

The man shrugged and sat beside her. Ryma looked over the famous person. She still could not believe that she had been a friend with Boba Fett for two years. Fett mostly kept to himself and rarely sought out company, especially the female kind. She sighed and moved around on the bunk. He glanced at her,

"Four hours until we break into real space," he said.

Ryma nodded. She turned to him.

"Fett…there is something that I wanted to do for a very long time now," she began. Ryma lifted her hands up to the clasps on his helmet and undid them. He stiffened but let her continue. She released the helmet from the rest of the armor and pulled it up and off his head. Gray black eyes stared back at her and small pieces of his blue-black hair came falling about his face. The man behind the mask looked just as threatening without the helmet. Even though Ryma had seen him once already unmasked, she still felt her heart beat faster at the thought that she was seeing something that very few or no one else had ever seen. Ryma slid her fingers along his jaw. Boba Fett shifted his gaze away from hers and looked at the floor. Ryma turned his head back to face hers.

"Have you ever kissed a woman Fett?" she asked softly,

Fett looked at her startled and before he could say anything, she brought her mouth up to his and kissed him softly. He tensed up again as Ryma opened her mouth and ran her tongue lightly across his lips. He slowly lifted his arms and put them around her waist and accepted what she was offering. He slid his tongue into her mouth and pulled her close to his body. He pressed his mouth hard against hers and plunged his tongue into its warm depths. She rolled and entwined her tongue with his, then went deeper into him. Soon they broke away gasping from lack of oxygen. He looked at her. She was breathing heavily and she trembled slightly when he slipped his hands, down her back, to her ass. He rubbed it gently and Ryma closed her eyes enjoying the feeling. He pressed his lips along the side of her neck in soft, light kisses. He then shifted away but brought her into a sitting position on his lap. She leaned against Fett and thrust her tongue back into his mouth. His armor felt hard beneath her and she moved around to try to get more comfortable. Ryma straddled his legs and pressed her body back against his. Fett mumbled something and pulled his head back away from hers. 

"Is there something wrong?" She asked worried. He shook his head,

"It's just I am not used to doing this," he said. He looked into her eyes and felt himself downing in their pools of dark blue. Fett was amazed at what was happening at the moment. Never in his entire life would he have thought that this beautiful woman in front of him would be acting this way. She was one of the deadliest people he had ever encountered in his travels. Ryma had been a personal assassin for the dark lord, Darth Vader. He had seen her kill men for even glancing her way with lust in their eyes. Yet, here he was kissing her and being kissed back. Ryma ran her hands over his chest armor. Even though he couldn't really feel them, he sighed and wanted to lay her on the bunk and kiss her all over. This was also another strange feeling for him. He hadn't wanted a woman this bad for years. Being a bounty hunter had taken up all his spare time and had removed most of these emotions he was having right now. He did not know what to make of this situation. She moved around again on his lap. This caused him to feel tightness between his thighs.

-Damn armor- he thought. 

She looked down at him as if she had heard what he had thought, then she smiled. Ryma moved her hips against his. Fett groaned inwardly. He brought her head down to his and kissed her hard and passionately. He raised his right hand and rubbed it along the side of her body then he slowly traced the neckline of her body suit with his fingers. His hand dropped a bit lower and he ran it over and under the curves of her breasts. She moaned softly and continued the playful assault of her tongue in his mouth. He moved his lips away from hers and kissed down her face, along her neck, to her collarbone. Ryma kissed his forehead and wrapped her arms around his neck. Suddenly a shrill alarm set off. A red light came on in the room and the ship shuddered.

"Oh shit," Fett said and quickly moved Ryma off him. He grabbed his helmet, put it on, and climbed down the ladder. The ship lurched and Ryma almost fell over. She grabbed her utility belt from the floor, strapped it on, and followed Fett. She found him in his cockpit looking over a computer screen. Ryma looked out the view window and saw the vast blankness of real space. A second ship was approaching them fast. Its weapons were armed and heated up. She realized that they had been pulled out of hyperspace and into an ambush. Ryma ran over to a control council and hit the buttons for the weapons system of the Slave 1. Fett sat down in the captain's seat and grabbed the steering throttle. He turned it hard to the left. The second ship blasted by and hot red streaks barely missed the left wing. Ryma strapped herself into an extra seat and pulled down a viewing scope. She could see the print on the side of the other ship. It was named The Ugo. 

"Hey Fett, we have a Rodian on our tale," she called over to him. Ugo meant enforcer in the Rodian's language. Fett nodded and turned the ship around to follow The Ugo. The ion cannon shot off electric blue beams and one of them caught the hull of the Rodian's ship. The lights on it died out and it hung in space motionless. Fett switched on a communication transmitter and soon the face of an enraged Rodian filled the screen. It swore and cursed,

"I will get for that," it screeched in bad Basic, 

"I doubt it," Fett muttered to himself and he fired proton torpedoes at the ship. It exploded in a fiery ball of red and orange. Pieces of debris littered the spot where The Ugo had once been. Fett turned his ship around and read the damage report. One of the shots from the Rodian's ship had hit the main thrusters, without it they could not get back into hyperspace. Fett sighed and leaned back in the chair. He turned to Ryma,

"Where are we?"

She glanced at the chart of the system they were in,

"Yagoti system. There are four inhabited planets here; one is quite popular for gambling. I suggest we head there, they will probably have the spare parts we need." Fett nodded. 

Their next stop was the planet of Gangran.

The Slave 1 landed on docking pad 4521. Fett put on the security system and went out of his ship. He joined Ryma who was standing with her back to him. She had changed out of her jumpsuit and into another outfit. Black leather outlined her body giving him a great look at her curves. A rifle was slung over her shoulder and she had a mini blaster in the holster at the hip. A blood red bandanna was tied around her head and pieces of her short blond hair moved around her face in the breeze. He came up beside her. Ryma's face was emotionless and she did not turn to look at him.

"I'm going to get the spare parts. You meet me back here in three hours," he said. Ryma only nodded and strode off in the direction of the left landing pad elevators. Fett went off to the right and took a hovercar to the main part of the city. Beings started at him and watched his every move. He was well known throughout the galaxy and many feared him. He couldn't care less. Fett found a used ship lot and bought the things he needed. He paid for them to be delivered and installed. After, he wandered around the streets taking in the sights and sounds. Many bars and casinos lined them, even some whorehouses. He turned to go back to his ship but then spotted someone he knew in a well-populated bar. Fett went in and came up to the table. A man and a woman sat there,

"Fett, what a surprise to see you here," said Dengar, and he kicked out a chair beside him, "do you have time for a drink?"

"I suppose I do," Fett said and sat. Manaroo smiled at him,

"So, how have you been?" she asked,

"Life has been fair,"

"That's good."

Dengar ordered three ales. These were two of the only people Boba really trusted. Dengar had saved his life numerous times and Manaroo, his spouse, had helped Boba Fett anytime she could. The drinks came and Fett pulled out a feeding straw and began sipping the sweet tasting substance. Dengar chugged his down,

"What brings you here?" he asked,

"I was ambushed and I needed spare parts," Fett told him,

Dengar reached into one of his belt pockets and came up with a small hologram recorder. He set it down in front of Fett.

"There's a great sounding bounty on that thing. I suggest that you consider going for it."

Boba took the recorder and put it in one of his own pockets.

Dengar continued, "I would have gone after it but I promised Manaroo some time for us to be together."

Manaroo smiled at her husband. This caused Fett to think of Ryma. He would have let that Rodian go but it had interrupted them at the wrong time. His blood ran hot just thinking about their moments shared together today. He hoped there would be more. Fett put up the feeding straw and stood. 

"Thanks for the drink Dengar. I have to be going now," he turned to Manaroo, "Take care of yourself and don't let him get into too much trouble," he joked,

"Don't worry. I have him wrapped around my little finger Fett," she laughed. Dengar chuckled,

"See you buddy," he said.

Fett nodded and left the bar.

Boba went back to his ship and found that Ryma had not yet returned. He went inside and sat into the captain's seat. Soon he drifted off to sleep.

Hours later, Fett was awakened by the sound of footsteps coming up from the storage room. He climbed down from the cockpit and put his hand on his rifle just in case. Ryma appeared. Fett relaxed but then he noticed that she was limping and holding her right side. Small rivers of blood ran over her fingers and down her leg. He went over to her,

"What the hell happened to you?" he asked,

She groaned,

"An itchy trigger fingered man in one of the bars decided to try out his aim," she replied, "Do you have a medkit? The wound isn't deep but it hurts like hell."

She took a seat in the sitting area of his ship and he went and got the medkit. She opened it up and found a compress and a bottle of bacta. She applied pressure to the blaster wound and soon the bleeding stopped. Ryma smeared bacta over the opening and leaned back. The shot had hit her in the waist, and she thanked the gods that it hadn't gone in deeper or hit bone. She closed her eyes and relaxed as the soothing of the bacta took away the burning. Fett watched her then, after he made up his mind that she was fine, turned to leave.

"I'm going to get some sleep. You can use the bunk if you want to," he told Ryma then headed back to the cockpit. She stared after him.

After a few more hours of sleep Fett woke up and heard the sound of running water. He stretched and removed his helmet. Boba got up and made his way to the refresher unit in the back of the ship. He expected to see Ryma in there washing out her wound. He looked through the partially open door and his eyes widened. He felt his body grow hot all over as he saw the sight before him. Ryma was indeed washing her wound but in a different way than Fett had expected. She was in the shower unit totally naked. Her eyes were closed and she was leaning against the wall, head on her arm. Fett allowed his eyes to travel downwards and almost wished he hadn't. Ryma had smooth looking skin, long legs, and nicely firmed breasts. Fett must have made some sound for Ryma suddenly opened her eyes and turned to face him. He found it hard to swallow for the front view of her was much more exciting than the side view. He raised his eyes from the sight between her legs, to her breasts, to her eyes. He tried to say something but he couldn't find his voice. Ryma turned slightly red and she turned around shielding her body from his gaze. Steam rose around the room and the only sound was the water. Finally Fett spoke,

"Sorry…. I did not know that…that…" He couldn't find the words. He turned away from her and walked down the corridor to his room. He sat down heavily on his bunk and took long deep breaths to try to slow down his rapidly beating heart. 

Meanwhile back in the shower, Ryma was still in shock. She did not know what had possessed her to turn away from him. She wanted him more than anything else and she had the chance but lost it. Ryma sighed and started to wash her hair. Life was so complicated at times. She got out of the shower a half-hour later and dressed. She wrote a note telling Fett that she was going out and would be back later on. He could use the bunk if he wanted. Boba found the note soon after she left and he made his way back to his room. He undressed, hung up his armor, and lay down on his bed. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments before drifting off into a restless sleep.

Ryma went to a few bars and casinos but her mind kept wandering back to Boba. She sighed and headed back to the Slave 1. The interior was quiet when she entered. The cockpit was empty and so was the sitting area. Ryma took a deep breath and started silently up the ladder to Fett's sleeping quarters. The lights were out and she could hear soft snoring sounds. She saw him lying on his back on the bunk, the blankets covering his body. Ryma walked slowly over to him and stared down at his sleeping form. He looked so peaceful and less threatening than he did when he was awake. She leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips. He opened his eyes and stared up at her.

"Did I wake you?" she asked,

He smiled,

"Not really. I wasn't sleeping too well anyway," he mumbled.

"Why not?"

"Because I kept thinking about you," he told her. Ryma looked away for a second then back at him. She kissed him again and he opened her lips with his tongue and kissed back long and deep. He pulled her onto his body and held her tightly against him. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him lightly on his cheeks and forehead. Ryma loved the feel of him beneath her without his armor. He felt strong and hard against her softer body. She slipped her tongue back into his mouth and ran it along his teeth. He ran his hands along her back to her ass. She felt the hardness of him between her legs even with her clothes on. Ryma moved her hips against him in tantalizing circles. He groaned and kissed her fiercely. He slipped his hands under her tunic and lifted it off. He kissed along the cleavage area and the tops of her breasts, and then he ran the rough part of his tongue over the most sensitive part. She leaned her head back and allowed him full access to them. He sucked on the right breast first until she cried out in pleasure, and then he gave the same treatment to the left one. She was soon breathing hard and Fett wanted more of her. He rolled Ryma gently onto her back and undid her pants. He pulled them slowly down off her waist, down her legs, and then he tossed them onto the floor. He ran his hands over her body and then pulled off her underwear. They were both naked now and she climbed under the covers with him. Fett caressed her breasts with his hands while he kissed a moist trail of fire with his mouth down along her chest, across her stomach, and abdomen. He positioned himself between her thighs and licked along the insides on her legs. He made his way to where her legs joined and kissed her softly there. She groaned. He rubbed his right hand on her and licked her pleasure spot. He slid his finger inside her and moved it in and out. Ryma thought she would die from the sensations she was getting. She rolled her head from side to side and started to pant. Fett liked the taste of her. He moved his finger away and covered her with his mouth. He pushed his tongue into her and licked her deep. Ryma cried out and then moaned. Suddenly she shivered and gasped out loud. He continued licking and stroking her until she begged him to stop or slow down. He smiled and just increased the pace of his tongue. Ryma tried to move her lower body away from his face but he held her down. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of intense pleasure. Ryma whimpered softly when Fett put two fingers in her. He licked her then sucked on her sensitive spot. She cried out his name and Fett thought that he was going to lose control. He shifted away and lay down on top of her. She gazed up at him with passion filled eyes. He kissed Ryma gently then placed his lower body against hers. 

"Do you want me to continue?" He asked hoarsely. She nodded and whispered yes. He captured her mouth in his again and slowly entered into the sweet heaven he had tasted with his mouth. She stiffened then relaxed as his warmth filled her. Ryma wrapped her legs around his waist and he pushed deeper. Slowly Fett lifted his hips and lowered them again. He was trying to get used to the feel of her and he didn't want this to end too soon. Ryma held onto his shoulders as he moved in and out. His pace was slow at first but then it became faster and harder. She started panting again and felt suffocated by the smell and feel of him as he labored on top of her. Pleasure built up and soon they were both gasping and moaning. Fett shuddered and his release caused Ryma to also go over the edge. Pain and pleasure rolled into one and crashed down over both of them. Boba slowed down his movements then came to a stop and he collapsed from exhaustion. Ryma held him and tried to catch her breath. They lay there for a while before Fett moved out of her and shifted onto his back. He caught Ryma by the shoulders and pulled her close to his warm body and together they drifted off to sleep. 

Fett awoke the next morning feeling better than he had in the last few months. He turned his head and saw Ryma sleeping beside him with her head on his chest. He glanced at the chrono, which was beside the bunk, and found it was 7:30, which was way past the time he usually got up. Fett shifted out from Ryma's arms and sat up slowly not wanting to disturb her. He climbed over her still form and out of the bed. He dressed silently and then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryma watching him. He went over and kissed her softly on the lips.

"We'd better be going if we're to make it to Monera by 5:00," he said.

She nodded and yawned. Fett left her and went to the cockpit to start up the ship. A few minutes later, they had broken free of the planet's gravity and were heading into hyperspace. Boba sat back in the seat and thought about last night. He wondered how this relationship, if it was that, would fit into his already hectic life. Even though he had thoughts about having a family, he did not want to settle down just yet and he also knew that Ryma wouldn't want to either. He sighed and put on his helmet. The streaks of hyperspace flew by the viewing screen and he found the sight to be very relaxing. He turned to the computer console and brought up the bounty files that were on storage. Dengar's file appeared. Boba had installed it last night but he hadn't had the chance to look at it. The information filled the screen.

__Bounty-live capture on human male

Goes by the name of Del Saco

__C: -The New Republic

__RW: -50,000

Nothing if deceased

This interested Fett. The New Republic usually had nothing to do with bounty hunters and this was an awfully large sum for just one man. Fett had never heard of the name before and he wondered what got this guy in so much trouble. Fett typed in a few commands and the name Del Saco appeared in one category.

__Dealer in the fine arts__ 

This amused Fett. Why would the Republic want an art dealer? He tried another command and the screen went blank with the words 'Source of information deleted' on it. 

-So the new republic decided to code the past of this guy and his crime- he thought. Fett knew that this bounty would take some work to find but, after all, he was the best in this business. He would not fail. Fett closed down the file and brought up lists of stolen ships or any unusual activity in the ten systems near Corestant, where the New Republic was based. An old Giro 1000 ship had been taken during one night and a small doll had been found near its landing pad. Another article appeared and this one was a video hologram. Security officers were waving away the press and trying to get a couple into a building. Fett recognized one of the persons to be Princess Leia, the commander and high council member of the New Republic senate. The other was an old man whom Fett didn't recognize. The video was short but it proved that Leia was indeed involved with this bounty. Fett shut down the screen and checked the time until breakthrough into real space. He had half an hour. Boba stretched and stood. He made his was to the weapons compartment and sorted though a bunch of rifles and blasters. He made sure they were all powered up and then stored them up in the cockpit. Next he went to the back of his ship where his droid, 45LK, was kept. He powered it up and programmed it to look for any more information on the man Del Saco. The droid beeped and whirred for a few moments then spit out a very short list on its reading screen.

Del Saco: Dealer in fine arts

Last seen on Nal Hutta in a gambling convention.

Reports on his winnings: Lost every game

Del Saco was involved in a fight outside his hotel. Two aliens are still unidentified and are at large. 

This information was no use to Fett. He continued reading.

__Del Saco returned to Corestant later that day and attended a meeting in the lower sections of the Imperial City. New Republic senate was present. __ 

This wasn't very helpful. Fett switched off the droid and returned to the cockpit. He sat down and thought the situation over again and again in his head. Del Saco had something to do with the Senate and Leia herself was involved. Del had been on Corastant just before the ship had been stolen and the bounty put on his head. The crime must have taken place in a short period because the ship had been taken five hours after Del had left the meeting. The bounty had been sent out a half-hour after that. Boba wondered why the New Republic security hadn't done the jobs themselves. This was all very odd.

Ryma paced the small room of Fett's sleeping quarters. She couldn't read her feelings about the bounty hunter and she didn't know what she would do after he dropped her off at Monera. Ryma had left her ship there and taken a cruise yacht over to Nal Hutta for an important sabacc tournament. She didn't go there to play; she went there to catch a man who had been a traitor to the Imperials. He had murdered ten commanding officers and had blown up thirty-two battle ships. The man had soon disappeared after that and had remained hidden for three years. Darth Vader had informed her personally, that he wanted this man killed by her and her alone. Even though Vader was now dead and most of the Imperial sections of space had been taken over, Ryma still had her job to do and she would succeed even if it meant her death. The lord Vader had been like a father to her and she would not fail him. Ryma gathered her belongings and made her way to the cockpit. She found Fett sitting in the captain's chair deep in thought. He looked at her when she approached.

"How long now?" she asked,

"15 minutes before break and ten before we set down on the planet."

She nodded and stood beside him. Fett undid his helmet and took it off. He set it aside and hooked an arm around Ryma's waist and pulled her onto his lap. She leaned against him and they sat there for a while in silence. A light started to blink on one side of the console, indicating that it wasn't long now until they came into real space. 

"Where do you want to be set down?" Fett asked,

"Coordinates 54-23-2."

Fett shifted Ryma onto his other leg and punched in the directions. He turned back to her. Ryma leaned down and kissed him, not knowing what his reaction would be. She was glad when he pulled her tighter against him and he pressed his own mouth hungrily against hers. She deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. He slowly broke away and looked into her eyes. He reached up with one hand and ran his finger along her lower lip then moved it up to caress her cheek. Fett didn't know what to do. At that moment he wanted to carry her back into the sleeping quarters and make love again. Yet, at the same time he wanted to move her off his lap and block his feelings. He did neither. Fett let Ryma sit on his lap and she let him continue running his fingers along her face. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder. The ship shuddered and the streaks of hyperspace grew less and stars appeared. The ship changed course and headed toward a green planet in the distance. Boba reached over and got his helmet and before he put it on he gave Ryma one last kiss. She got off his lap and stood to one side as he steered the Slave 1 down through the cloud layer to the small city on Monera. 

Ryma watched as the Slave 1 headed off into the distance. She stood beside her ship, The Gattica with a heavy feeling in her chest. Ryma slowly turned away from the sight and opened the cargo hatch of her ship. She entered and took her spot in the cockpit and powered it up. Soon she on her way off planet to Ord Mandell.

The months pasted and Ryma and Fett didn't come across one another. Both were busy with their missions. Fett had dug up every source of information on Del Saco and had come up with a few leads to where the man might be hiding. Ryma though, had lost the traitor and had recently been involved in some important meetings about the raising issue of beings needing money. Both slowly forgot their feelings for each other and had let their jobs taken over their lives once again.

Leia Organa Solo anxiously paced the large living area of her suite. No news had yet come of the whereabouts of her two older children. They had been kidnapped over four months ago and no traces were found to the crime. Also on top of that, major problems involving money were causing beings to rise up and complain about the poor work habits in this sector. Things were beginning to get out of hand. The council had given off small loans to the people with good credit records but that still wasn't enough. Leia was feeling overwhelmed by these situations. She glanced across the room to where her husband sat at the kitchen table. He had his face in his hands and had been like that for some time. Han was the one who had sent out the bounty for the man Del Saco who had caused a riot at the last meeting in the lower sections of the Imperial City. Del had asked for a loan but had been turned down because he was a major gambler and had lost a previous loan of 2,000 to a recent sabacc tournament. That money had been given to him for a research project that the New Republic had needed to be done. Leia sighed and continued pacing. She hoped to god that Jaina and Janken were all right.

Ryma walked along the corridors of the Imperial Palace. She knew that she was not welcome here but took her chances. She needed to talk to someone. Ryma made her way up to the 223 floor and went down the hall to suite 336. She rapped softly on the door and waited. A few minutes later the door opened and a woman appeared from inside. She looked Ryma over and a huge smile lit over her face.

"My god, it had been some time since I saw you last kid," Mara Jade said warmly and opened the door the rest of the way and stood back. Ryma entered and took a seat on the couch in the center of the room. Mara sat across from her.

"What brings you here?" she asked,

"Business,"

"I'm listening," Mara said and leaned back in the chair.

Ryma had known Mara Jade for a very long time. Mara had been brought to the Emperor at a very young age for training. Ryma had met her in the large hallways of this very building late one night. They formed a special kind of friendship there and then. They had always looked out for one another and had helped each other out in tough situations. Right now, Ryma needed help.

"Do you remember that traitor that blew up all those ships years ago?" Ryma asked. Mara nodded,

"Well anyway, I lost my connections to him and he disappeared from my sight. I promised lord Vader that I would destroy him, but that it becoming less possible as time goes by."

Mara leaned over and thought to herself.

"His name was Gargo right?" she asked,

"Yes."

Mara got up and went over to a computer. She typed for a few minutes and came back with a list. She handed it to Ryma.

"All I know is that he has changed his name over the last few years. He is involved with some heavily gambling over in the Nal Hutta sector."

Ryma read over the information. She knew most of it already. She slumped back in the chair and looked at Mara who was sitting back on the sofa.

"Well, I guess there is nothing else I can find out right at this moment," Ryma said, "so what's going on in your life?"

Mara gave a small smile,

"Luke Skywalker and I have wed, I have a five year old daughter and I am six months pregnant."

Ryma stared at Mara with a surprised look on her face.

"Sorry, I didn't even notice," she said smiling, "you carry it well."

Mara nodded. 

"So, do you have anyone in your life yet?" she asked,

"Well…I guess I do,"

"Who?" Mara sat forward interested.

"Well, he's not…. I mean I don't really know if he feels the same way for me but…" Ryma couldn't find the words, "Boba Fett," she finally said.

Mara sat there looking at her.

"The bounty hunter?" she asked,

"Yes."

"You mean, you actually got close to him?"

"Yes."

Mara smiled.

"Wow, I guess we both have someone after all these years."

Ryma smiled back. They talked for a few more minutes before Mara lost her smile,

"Have you heard about the Solo twins yet?" she asked seriously,

"No."

"They were kidnapped a few months ago and nobody knows where they are."

Ryma sat in silence. She liked kids and hated it when they were involved in crimes. It just wasn't right. 

"God, that's awful," she said at last. Ryma stood and so did Mara.

"I'd better be going, I still have a lot of work to do."

Mara nodded and hugged her friend. Ryma left and thought over the new situations that had evolved. 

Meanwhile Boba Fett was on Tatoonie at the Mos Eisley's Cantina. He had found a source of information on Del Saco and was now sitting down in one of the courner tables talking to him. The source was not human and a large cloak with a hood covered him. The being spoke in Basic so softly that Fett had to turn up the hearing devices on his helmet.

"Yes, I know where man is," the creature said. He looked around before continuing,

"He was on Corasent then gone to Nar Shadda after meeting. He lost money and tried to get more from Republic. Didn't work. He in trouble with Hutt crimelord. Needed money fast so took desperate measures. Don't know what though. Very dangerous. Unpredictable."

Fett listened closely to the story. This information was interesting and useful. The being spoke again,

"Was Imperial. Was someone else. Different now. Did work for new people. Got into gambling in big games. Stupid, very stupid player but smart…. very smart…at weapons and fighting." The being sat back in the seat and took a long drink from his ale. 

"Anything else?" Fett asked. The creature thought and nodded.

"Imperial bounty never put on him. Was asked to be terminated by professional. He traitor to Empire. Killed many in life."

-So have I- thought Fett.

The being spoke again,

"Professional is female. She in danger right now. So are two others. You must go help. You need friend or enemy to help. Not safe by yourself. Man has helpers to help his killing. Not human helpers, they are mean and have no will of own. Go now, I am done." The creature stood up and walked out of the bar leaving Fett sitting alone.

-This has certainly taken a new turn- 

Fett wondered what the creature could have possibly meant when it told him he needed help with this bounty. Boba got up and went to his ship to begin the long trip to Nar Shadda. 


	2. Search on Bespin

Disclaimer: I do not own Boba Fett or any of the Star Wars characters but Ryma is mine. But if Lucas wanted to give up Fett…(yum)…

Jeez, hopefully this chapter will be as good as the first since I wrote the first one a long time ago and also I need to be in a Star Wars mood to be able to write about it. Oh well, enjoy!

Hunters

---Two weeks later---

Boba Fett looked out over the balcony railing at the clouds that filled the atmosphere of Bespin. Large flying reptiles graced the sky with their dizzying plummets and spirals as they searched for small morsels of food and floating plant life. The sun had just rose streaking different shades of yellow and red making the scene a spectacle of colour. Boba enjoyed looking at the beauty since he rarely saw its kind for his job kept him in the dilapidated regions of the galaxy. His gaze was unaltered due to the absence of his famous helmet. He breathed in deeply as the breeze shifted bringing warm air pungent with the perfumes of the cloud planet. Behind him sat a Delta Four Z-Wing single person fighter. The small aircraft was swift and lithe and provided the best means of getting him across the sky to Cloud City, home to the famous Sabacc tournament. His own personal ship, the Slave One, was docked on the other side of the mining colony he was on, under heavy defenses and hidden within a well-concealed landing platform. His ship would also be a dead giveaway to the prey he was hunting and he couldn't afford to take such foolish actions so he had abandoned it along with his Mandalorian armour. Instead he wore an old republic pilot suit that would blend in nicely with the motley crowd that would be at the Sabacc tournaments. A breathing mask was held under his arm and would complete the ensemble therefore making him feel more at ease knowing that his face would remain in shadow. Not that anyone would be able to associate it with the name Boba Fett for there was no one Fett knew of that was alive in the galaxy that had seen his face and lived to tell about it or pose a threat. Besides Dengar and Manaroo of course but since he trusted the two completely he dismissed them. But then there was her…His thoughts drifted to Ryma. He hadn't seen or heard from her for a while now and he often caught himself wondering if she was all right. Knowing her however there was always the possibility that her anger had gotten her in trouble. His fist clenched at the alien feelings that spread through his chest when her face appeared in his mind. He was in a profession where becoming soft was deadly and by the looks of things he had become soft towards Ryma. Maybe it was a good thing that he hadn't seen her recently. He needed all of his wits about him to catch his bounty, which still was the mysterious Del Saco. Fett would have put the hunt off a long time ago and gone after more valuable prey if it hadn't been for the increase in the bounty on Saco's head. The New Republic had risen it a month ago to an outstanding 300 000 credits for an alive delivery. There was no other bounty on the market worth that much at the time. His information had finally revealed why Del Saco was a wanted man with the New Republic. He had kidnapped the Solo twins back when the disputes over loans was upsetting the council on Coresant. Han Solo had been the original payer but then it had expanded to include Luke Skywalker and the Jedi Academy on Yavin. Supposedly the twins were apprentice Jedi's and good ones at that. 

Fett shook his head out of his thoughts and donned the pilot mask. He made his way over to the Delta Four and entered the cockpit. The smallness of the ship was something Fett was not used to for he preferred the protection of a Slave One sized ship. The repulsors hummed to life and he was airborne and skimming through the lightening clouds towards Cloud City and towards Del Saco.

---A Stateroom in Cloud City---

Del Saco stared at the computer consoles that linked to the security cameras of the floating Cloud City. The images were of the throng of beings that had come to participate in the tournament that was beginning at noon and going on right until tomorrow night. The crowd's eagerness showed as they pushed forward to sign up as players. It was no wonder since the stakes were supposed to be outrageous and beginning bets alone totaled up to nearly five thousand credits. Del had even heard rumors about an extremely wealthy aristocrat that had plans to bet an entire planet if he made it to the finishing rounds. He leaned back in his Wompa skin chair with dreams of what he would do if he won such a prize. The Sabacc tournament was the reason Del Saco was visiting Bespin otherwise he would still be in hiding from that damn bounty hunter that seemed to never give up. A smile lit his face as he realized that he was getting his cake and eating it too. There was also another hidden motive to why Saco was on Bespin and that reason was now entering the main hall of the city. Ryma had arrived on Bespin over an hour ago and Del couldn't believe his luck when he had spotted her with the security camera. She had become a pain in the ass and a deadly one at that, but soon that would end. The sound of a throat clearing made Del glance up at the doorway to the stateroom. An Uaigl stood in the hatchway watching Del with its drooping eyes. 

"Well?" snarled Del.

"Verrry sorrry sirrr. But we couldn't locate herrr ship," the Uaigl droned, it's large jowls making its speech rough and heavy.

"And this is supposed to be a reason to interrupt my thoughts?" he asked coldly.

"Errr, I was wonderrrring what yourrrr next orrrder is, sirrr."

Del slammed his fist down on the console unit, "My order is that you find Ryma's ship and disable it so that not even the most skilled mechanic in the galaxy can fix it!!!" he screamed at the alien. "I don't want her having a way off of this city! Is that clear!?!"

The being shuttered and nodded a quick reply and salute before fleeing out the door, leaving Del alone again with his thoughts. He slumped back in his chair and rubbed his temples. The damned creatures he had hired were annoying as hell and he would have shot the bloody things ages ago had it not been for their skill in killing. He had to admit to himself that taking on an Uaigl was extremely dangerous and had been a bit nervous at first at having them work for him. After a while though he realized that money controlled their minds and for the right price they would die trying to complete their task, whatever it be. Right now their task was simple, prevent that bitch from escaping Cloud City and then annihilate her. She posed a dangerous threat to his plans and he could not have them ruined again just because this so called assassin had an debt to the deceased dark lord and was honour bound by it to see it through. Warmth flooded through Del as he remembered his work in destroying those Star Destroyers years ago. The plan had been flawless and he would have succeeded had it not been that his targets were not aboard the ships that day. The warmth faded into a heavy cold pit in the bottom of his stomach as disgust and rage filled him at the remembrance of his failure. He didn't know why Darth Vader and the Emperor had suddenly changed plans and had remained on Couresant that day. They were supposed to have been on route to visit the new super weapon, The Death Star, to oversee its progress. Something that important surely would have required their attendance. Del just couldn't figure it out. And now he had this hotshot woman breathing down his neck itching to exact payment. 

He leaned back in the chair and lit up a cigar. The smoke curled slowly up to the ceiling and the pleasant odour calmed his mind. Sometimes, he believed that the galaxy was getting too hectic for its own good.

---Main Corridor of Cloud City---

Boba walked silently through the throng of beings, which hurried along on their own business. Boba had arrived at Cloud City forty minutes ago and had already been through the weapon detection units manned by the city's security. Since the Sabacc tournament brought in a lot of money, it was feared that robbery could take place therefore weapons were strictly banned during this occasion. However, Fett was not one to go unarmed, especially during a hunt. He had hidden multiple weapons in the secret compartments of his flight suit. Each compartment was lined with a special alloy that prevented the units from detecting the small arsenal he had brought. He knew that his prey would have a few tricks up his sleeve to escape his clutches and Fett was not about to take chances on thinking that Del would be an easy foe to defeat. 

The crowd around him slowly began to diminish as he headed away from the casino and the betting machines. A few well-dressed humanoids lounged in the hall along with serving droids to cater to their needs, but other than that it was deserted. Boba knew that he would not find Del Saco in this area since he still had that outstanding bounty on his head and there were probably novice bounty hunters scouring the area, looking for a chance to make some hard cash. A smirk crossed Fett's face. _Those fools have no chance of catching Del. He's mine. _

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted as he spotted a very familiar form headed his way. Ryma looked as good as Fett remembered her, dressed in a body suit that clung to her form revealing well shaped legs and soft curving hips. Her upper half was covered in a short cloak preventing Fett from seeing the rest of her curves. His stride didn't slow as she got closer as he did have a mission to complete and his past thoughts on his feelings for her made his mind scream at him to not let her know it was him. His heart on the other hand did not share those feelings and he clenched his fist trying to stop his body from doing anything idiotic. He looked back at Ryma and saw her entering a corridor that branched off of the main one. His heart slowed its irregular beat and his breathing got easier until he passed halfway across the opening to the corridor she had gone into. Ryma stood a few feet down it with her arms crossed over her chest and she was staring right at him. The look in her eyes made him stop and realize that she knew it was him. _How does she do that?_ He thought to himself, remembering all of the times Ryma had sensed his presence even when he hadn't announced himself. Fett couldn't read her face as he walked over to her and stopped a few feet away.

"Fancy seeing you here," she said with a hint of sarcasm. "I didn't know that you liked cards."

His frown deepened but he kept quiet. She uncrossed her arms and slowly walked around behind him, giving him the once over. 

"I like the getup," she said, a cross between amusement and boredom. "Who are you hunting?"

He turned to face her but regretted it as she stared up at him with her dark blue eyes. Fett found himself mesmerized by their depth and beauty and his mind was threatened by overwhelming feelings that seemed to have surged from somewhere deep inside of him. He swallowed hard, fighting to get them under control.

"A man that goes by the name of Del Saco. Perhaps you've heard of him," he said coldly.

"A small amount, yes. He's the one who kidnapped the Solo kids."

"Correct."

"I've never actually seen what he looks like however."

Fett opened up one of his wrist gauntlets and took out a small hologram recorder. He flipped it towards Ryma who caught it easily with one hand. She turned it on and stared at the image for a few moments. 

"Nope, never seen him before," she told him as she closed it and handed it back.

Boba nodded, "I thought not since he keeps himself hidden away most of the time." He didn't bother to ask her what her business was on Bespin. It might make it seem as if he wanted to continue this little conversation of theirs. He began to brush by her heading for the main hallway to continue on his way when she suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm. Her grip was tight and her eyes cold as he glared back at her.

"If you're not too busy later meet me down in docking bay 83," she said, emphasizing the word busy. With that she let go and walked away down the corridor. Without another look he turned back into the hallway. He was filled with rage as what had just occurred played over and over in his mind. _What the hell was I thinking before about feelings and all that shit? She doesn't give a damn about me! _His thoughts screamed at him. He had noticed that the soft looks she had given him those long months ago had completely vanished from her eyes. He continued on towards his bounty all the while feeling a heavy emptiness within his chest.

*Did you like it? Did you like it? I hope you did :( Sorry there was no lemon in this chapter (for all of you lemon lovers). I had to write a chapter that gave a bit more information on the hunt that Fett was involved in. Also how many of you thought that Ryma and Fett were chasing the same person? Well, if you did think that you now know that they aren't because that would have been too much of a coincidence. It'll all come together in the end. Will Fett and Ryma make up? Will Ryma be killed? Hmm…that's a secret :) 


End file.
